Nayani Krishnakumari

Nayani Krishnakumari (14 March 1930 – 29 January 2016) was an Indian scholar, poet, researcher, speaker in Telugu and an active participant in literary and cultural organizations. She served several institutions in various capacities. She received several awards such as Swarnakankanam, instituted by Desoddharaka Kasinathuni Nageswara Rao, Best Telugu Writer award from Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University, and Sahitya Akademi among others. Krishnakumari was born to Nayani Subba Rao and Hanumayamma in Guntur, a town in Andhra Pradesh, India. She was married to Canakapalli Madhusudana Rao, a lawyer and a distant relative, in 1954. They have one daughter and two sons. Krishnakumari has been an active participant in literary and cultural events. She worked on Telugu ballads and obtained her doctorate in 1970. She had a master's degree in Sanskrit.